Some Patriots news and notes on this Friday:
1) Patriots already making moves: Mike Vrabel told reporters during his press conference on Wednesday that the initial 2025 Patriots Roster would likely see some changes, and one day later, that’s exactly what ended up happening.
The club made some additional tweaks, adding four players to the practice squad on Thursday, with defensive back Corey Ballentine, defensive lineman Corey Durden, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett, and linebacker Mark Robinson all joining the team.
To make room, New England parted ways with tight end Gee Scott, defensive back Brandon Crossley, and linebacker Cam Riley. The club had also previously waived wideout Javon Baker and Bradyn Swinson, with Swinson joining the practice squad one day after roster cutdowns. However, Baker didn’t ultimately return as many thought he would (more on that in a moment), and the club filled his spot on the roster Thursday.
As things currently stand, the Patriots have 10 defensive players and seven players on offense, rounding out a group that gives them some guys to develop and potentially ones who could provide some depth at some point this season.
Current Patriots Practice Squad Players
(as of 8/29/25):
- Corey Ballentine, CB
- Kobee Minor, CB
- Miles Battle, CB
- Truman Jones, DE
- Corey Durden, DT
- David Olajiga, DT *ⓘ
*International Pathway Exemption - Fabien Lovett, DT
- Jahvaree Ritzie, DT
- Jack Conley, G
- Mehki Butler, G
- Bradyn Swinson, LB
- Mark Robinson, LB
- Alec Lindstrom, OL
- Terrell Jennings, RB
- CJ Dippre, TE
- Jeremiah Webb, WR
- John Jiles, WR
Vrabel was asked on Wednesday about the importance of that group, and he gave some pretty good insight into how that unit has evolved in recent years.
“We were laughing the other day when it was 53 players and five guys on the practice squad, and we actually practiced and functioned,” said Vrabel. “Now, we have probably we’ll have 70, and we’ll be wondering how we can practice with that many players.”
“So what it’s given you, it’s given you a good blend of having some veterans that may be able to go in right away and be elevated. It also gives you an opportunity to develop some younger players, which you’ll see when that list comes out. So you’ll be able to kind of recognize both of those who you may need some more time and want to invest some more time into them or a veteran that’s played in this league and would be ready to go if we needed to elevate them.”
2) Baker Moves on: After making the initial 53-man roster, the Patriots needed a couple of spots to add quarterback Tommy DeVito and defensive back Charles Woods, and unfortunately, Baker ended up with Swinson as the two odd men out in order to make those two additions.
Swinson, who was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 Patriots Draft, rejoined the club on its practice squad, while Baker apparently opted not to return.
According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, New England did want Baker back after letting him go, but the second-year receiver apparently decided to move on. He’s instead signing with the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad, and despite landing with a team that’s probably going to be a contender in the NFC, it may not have been a smart move.
Baker has received an unbelievable amount of support from Vrabel this preseason, with the head coach praising him in several press conferences, as well as being spotted on camera last Thursday night talking to Baker on the bench after he came off the field following a difficult series.
The fact that Baker made the initial 53 tells you just how fondly Vrabel views him, and the fact that he opted to walk away from that was probably not the wisest decision.
3) Baker just another guy in Philly: In Philadelphia, Baker’s just another possible special teams player among a large group under Nick Sirianni, with the Eagles head coach having had no prior relationship with him.
Other than shining at various moments on special teams this preseason, Baker’s resume certainly shouldn’t impress anyone. He caught just 5-of-15 (33%) of his targets for 56 yards last preseason in 2024, and was just 1-of-11 (9%) this preseason for 13 yards.
Overall, he’s a combined 6-of-26 (23%) over his two preseasons for 69 yards. He was just 1-of-4 during the regular season last year, with his one reception coming in the finale in Week 18.
In order to stick with a team on the 53 man roster, you either need to be a solid depth player, and if you’re not, you need to be an outstanding special teams player.
It’s difficult to categorize Baker that way. He’s certainly not at the level that Matthew Slater was, who was just 1-of-8 during the regular season as a receiver, but was obviously outstanding on special teams. That allowed the club to overlook Slater’s shortcomings in the passing game.
Another player that Baker also doesn’t measure up against was a former 7th-round pick in 1999. Anyone who remembers former Patriot Sean Morey likely recalls that Morey, who was a scrappy receiver out of Brown, was at least someone who made some terrific grabs with former Pats QB Michael Bishop during the preseason, but couldn’t quite stick here.
Morey went on to become a standout special teams player in Philadelphia, while eventually also playing for both Pittsburgh and Arizona. Unlike Baker, Morey was at least also a more viable and consistent player as a wide receiver, which enhanced his value.
Whether or not Baker can eventually reach the level of a more complete player remains to be seen. But to move on from a place where he had the head coach in his corner is puzzling, and it could be a decision he may ultimately regret.
4) Florio Believes In Vrabel: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk joined Felger & Masserrotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub earlier this week, and he believes that the Patriots have the right guy in Vrabel heading into this season.
“Well, I think that you’ve got the right coach,” said Florio. “I think Mike Vrabel was always destined to coach the Patriots. I was surprised that they didn’t make a beeline for him last year after he was fired by the Tennessee Titans. But then we came to learn of the agreement that they had in place to give the job to Jerod Mayo. But it just felt like a matter of time before he coached the team.”
Florio sees Vrabel as someone who has a similar coaching style to former coach Bill Belichick, but as a former player, he seems to also have the right approach in the locker room. That’s one of the main reasons Florio feels the Patriots could be a playoff team this season, with the only question being how they might fare against the better teams in the Conference.
“He seems like the perfect coach for the team,” said Florio. “The right blend of Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells, the right attitude, the right approach. It’s a question of getting the right players, and that’s the key. The cupboard has been relatively bare compared to the great years of the past, but I think they’re on the right track.”
“And look, with seven teams per conference in the postseason and 17 games, it’s easier than it’s ever been to win enough games to get one of the playoff spots. And the Patriots definitely are a team that could win enough games this year to get to the postseason. And then next year the goal would be to build on it, not that they would surrender when they finally get to the playoffs.”
“The question is, will the team be good enough to beat the best of the best in the AFC? But I think they can absolutely get to the playoffs this year.”
The other concern Florio has is whether or not Vrabel will be able to get the club off to a good start to begin the 2025 Regular Season. But he seems to like rookie TreVeyon Henderson, who he feels should play a key role in how far the team might go this season.
“I think a lot of it is Vrabel and that Vrabel is going to get the team ready to play week in and week out,” said Florio. “He’s going to make good decisions in games. He’s going to know how to press guys’ buttons to get the most out of them. He’s going to coach this team into a better product than the various parts would suggest.”
“And then you got TreVeyon Henderson, who I think they’re already carving his Hall of Fame bust. So that’ll help open up the passing game. If he ends up being the running back that maybe he’s shown flashes he could be, that really can open up a passing game because it draws extra safety to the line of scrimmage. It gets you better matchups in the secondary you can, and you can work the play action game to perfection.”
“So you know, I know running backs need blocking, but Barry Sanders didn’t get much, and he did well. Not that I’m comparing TreVeyon Henderson to him, but there is a hope and an expectation that they may have gotten a potentially great running back. We’ll find out soon enough.”
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
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Florio made his comments before Vrabel cut Peppers, a leader on the defense. What would he say now?
Baker seemed like a guy that had the physical tools, but needed a big “runway” in terms of time. And it appeared like he was not far off. I’d wager, if he gets a shot in Philly a year from now, he’ll end up being a solid NFL WR. A guy like that, where he needed time, also had the offense fully changed on him this year. Not surprised he opted for Philly given the state of change here in NE. If Vrable had such conviction to keep Baker on the 53, why not cut a guy you have a… Read more »